Why should you read James Joyce's "Ulysses"? - Sam Slote

Important Vocabulary Words From The Video

reprised

To reprise something is to play it again. If you reprise a song on the radio, you are listening to it again, even if you have already heard it before.

  • They reprised the song at the end of the show, which was a surprise to the listeners.
  • The play was reprised three times this week, which is why the tickets are so expensive.
canvasser

A canvasser is someone who goes door to door to collect information about a political campaign. They are usually volunteers who are trying to get people to vote.

  • The canvasser was trying to get people to sign up for the candidate's mailing list.
  • The canvasser was trying to get people to vote for the candidate in the upcoming election.
onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a word that is made up of the words sound and word. It is used to describe the sound that something makes.

  • The sound of the door slamming was onomatopoeic.
  • The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was also onomatopoeic.
alliteration

Alliteration is a type of poetry that uses words that start with the same letter as the word that follows it. It is a very common poetic technique, and it can add a lot of flavor to your writing.

  • The teacher was reading a story to the class, and all the words were alliterated.
  • The party was alliterated with unicorns, rainbows, and Cadillacs.
redhaired

Redhaired people have hair that is usually a deep red color. This color is usually not found in other parts of the world, and it is very rare in the United States.

  • She has red hair, which is very unusual.
  • His red hair makes him stand out among the other people.
exaggerates

To exaggerate is to make something sound worse than it is. You might exaggerate the importance of something, or the severity of a situation.

  • He exaggerated the importance of the project, and the consequences of not completing it.
  • She exaggerated the severity of the injury, even though it wasn't that bad.
mangy

A mangy animal is one that is not healthy or well-groomed. A mangy animal might have patches of fur that are not properly groomed, or it might have a bad odor.

  • The dog was looking very mangy, with patches of fur that were not properly groomed.
  • The house was full of mangy cats.
improbably

Improbably means that something is unlikely to happen. When you say that something is improbably funny, you mean that it's not supposed to be funny, but it is.

  • The story is improbably funny, even though it's true.
  • The team's improbably high score was the result of a lucky bounce.
highbrow

A highbrow is someone who is very educated and cultured. They might have a high income, but they don't necessarily enjoy the same things as people who are not highbrow.

  • She is a highbrow, which is why she doesn't like to go to the movies.
  • He is a highbrow, which is why he doesn't like to eat junk food.